Can't
by Aomine
Summary: Aomine and Kagami don't need to be married for them to be in love till death does them part. / AU, Boys Love - AoKaga.


**Can't**

The morning had arrived but the sun hadn't shown itself. 2:46 AM, the precise hour—the precise minute. And it was a time that had imprinted itself into the mind of a certain blue head. The faint sound of a fire alarm presumably from the foyer of an eight story apartment had possibly rung loudly through the first seven floors but seeing as how Aomine lived on the top floor, it was just faint in his ears. However, it was loud enough for him to wake up at such an ungodly hour. He turned his head to the side before smiling. He was greeted by red orbs belonging to Kagami and Aomine had reached his hand out to touch the red-head's cheek.

"What's happening?" Kagami sleepily asked as Aomine shifted his body closer to his lover.  
"I think it's a fire alarm." Aomine replied and the red-head closed his eyes. The dark skinned male frowned, knowing full well how much a fire or any mention of that phenomena was something of a touchy subject for the red-head.  
"Are you going to be my hero?" Kagami tried to lighten up the mood as if to say that Aomine mention the taboo word was fine.  
"If you'll let me be." Aomine leaned in close, pressing his lips against the red-head. They shared a lingering kiss before parting back—noses just barely brushing against each other's.

"Well, I doubt that the fire—if it actually is one would reach us here." Aomine said, brushing away the locks of hair that fell over Kagami's eyes. "And if it did, regardless if we're almost naked, I'd grab you and ditch this joint."  
"How romantic." Kagami mused. Aomine smiled brightly, strangely mimicking a smile his younger self used to do. They shared another kiss but this time, Aomine's lips moved down from Kagami's mouth, trailing kisses down the red-head's chin before sucking softly around the soft skin of Kagami's neck. The red-head's light moans fueled up Aomine's desire to monopolize his lover just as the air fueled up the licks of fire down below.

The dark skinned male moved himself to hover over the red-head, relocating his knee between Kagami's legs—lips still latched over the tender flesh of Kagami's neck before returning back to kiss the said male's lips. It wasn't long before tongues intertwined, saliva mixing between the two. The sounds of the fire alarm from the ground floor began to slip past their minds as soft moans and groans were all that came into their ears.

Aomine's hands began to trail down Kagami's naked torso, rubbing lightly against the nicely formed muscles and sides before descending further down. The feeling of digits against Kagami's hips had caused the red-head to pull his head back, breaking the passionate kiss and giving Aomine a confused look.

Kagami's hands snaked down and onto Aomine's, pulling them back up to his torso. "Hey, don't stop touching here, please." He requested and Aomine absent-mindedly obliged—diving back down to latch his lips back onto Kagami's, hands rubbing the red-head's sides. Soon after a moment, Aomine was now the one to move away, looking outside the bare window.

"Smoke's pretty thick— really must be a fire." Aomine calmly assessed as he sat atop Kagami's lap. Kagami sat up and looked out the window as well. "I'm going to go out for a bit and check some stuff out." Aomine said, turning his attention back at Kagami, briefly kissing his lover before removing himself off Kagami and then the bed, casually picking up a discarded shirt on the bedroom floor and putting it on over his torso. Before leaving the room, he turned around and looked at the concerned red-head. He then mouthed an '_I love you' _before leaving his lover behind. Kagami let out a deep sigh, falling backwards into the pillows before pulling the thick blanket over him.

Aomine had left his apartment, leaving the door unlocked as he went to investigate. There were a few people around the floor's hallway in the sleep wear—kids clinging to their parent's legs—couples clinging onto each other. They all wore anxious looks as all of their attention has been directed to the narrow, emergency staircase. Aomine approached a young couple who lived parallel to him.

"What's going on?" He casually asked, gaining their attention. The male had his arms wrapped around his female as he leant in a little close to speak softly at Aomine.  
"One of the residents from this floor had gone down to check the status downstairs. Fire brigade's still on their way."

As if on cue, the staircase door opened and the said resident looked as if he was running. He announced, "The fire's reached from the second floor to the fifth, reaching the sixth through the main staircase and elevator! Looks like there was a fire at the second level but through the staircase, it's rising up fast! The foyer's covered in small flames but if we leave now, we can make it out!" He said and all the residence of the eight floor began to either go back inside to retrieve valuables or just go directly down the emergency staircase.

The emergency staircase had been covered in thick slabs of concrete, impossible for fire to come inside unless the doors were opened. The main staircase however was an open staircase travelling from the foyer to the eighth floor, made of carpet.

Soon, smoke made its way to the eighth floor, alarming the residents, including Aomine. He rushed back into his apartment and into the bedroom that Kagami was in. He burst the door open, causing the red-head to sit up in slight shock.  
"What's wrong?" He asked as Aomine made his way over to Kagami; ripping the blanket off him.  
"Smoke's filling this floor and I'm pretty sure that fire's making its way up here—we've gotta go now." Aomine quickly informed, moving his right arm underneath Kagami's knees as his left wrapped itself around Kagami's waist. Next, Aomine began to lift the red-head but was stopped mid-way as the said male pushed his hands against Aomine's chest.

"Taiga, what are you—"  
"Don't." He simply said. Aomine knitted his brows.  
"Don't what?" Aomine asked and Kagami sighed.  
"Don't carry me out of here." Kagami replied.  
"What do you mean? I have to; we have to leave. Now." Aomine enforced as Kagami's eyes were diverted to the side.  
"… me."  
"What?"  
"Leave me."

Aomine wasn't sure of where Kagami was going with this. Leave him? As if he would do that! Aomine parted his lips to protest, arms still in place but before he could, Kagami spoke out first.  
"It's strange." He muttered lightly but it was loud enough for Aomine to hear. Kagami's eyes drew towards his knees and where Aomine's right arm snaked underneath. "It's strange how I can _feel_ your touch yet I can't…" His voice trailed off.  
"Taiga…" Aomine breathlessly spoke out, seeing Kagami's pained face. "Don't."  
"I can _feel_ you touching me there yet I can't—I can't _move_ them." Kagami sighed out before biting his lower lip in frustration.

Aomine withdrew his arms from where they were before sitting on the edge of the bed, body twisted to face Kagami. He then placed his palm atop Kagami's cheek, caressing him with his thumb before letting out an audible breath.  
"Oi." He began, moving Kagami's head to face him. "It's fine."  
"Is it?" Kagami questioned. "Eight floors and you have to carry me down a secluded staircase in the dark. I'd rather die here than that place, thank you very much." Kagami chuckled lightly, giving Aomine an amused look. But Aomine did not find this amusing.  
"I'm not leaving you. I'm taking you with me Taiga and that's final." Aomine said. "Don't be a whiney bitch about it, okay?"

"Who are you calling a bitch, you bitch?" Kagami playfully pushed Aomine's shoulder before sighing. "I'm fine with dying. It's all cool."  
"No it's not. It's anything _but_ cool." Aomine grounded his teeth at how lightly Kagami was taking the situation.  
"Oh, right. Because I'd be burnt to death. Good one, Daiki—"

Suddenly, Kagami felt a stinging sensation on his left cheek. Eyes wide open, it took him a few seconds to realize that Aomine slapped him. His eyes then looked at Aomine who gave off a fierce and strongly pissed off expression.  
"Let's face it." Kagami soon spoke after a moment has passed. "Ever since that _time_, I'm living a dull life. I can't work my dream job. I can't move my legs. I' burdening you with my life since I can' do crap for myself anymore. Best to end it here in a situation where I'd usually be saving people."

Aomine was shocked at Kagami's confession and felt guilty for not realizing that this was how Kagami felt. He knew that after Kagami's accident when he was working as a fire fighter—a beam pole smashing his lower part of his spinal cord, thus resulting in him being paralyzed in the legs—would not only physically impact him but mentally as well. But he hadn't expected that it would lead to Kagami actually wanting to die. It was really unlike him—but he gathered that since he won't be able to walk, he won't be able to do his job and things he likes, for example, basketball. It must've been really depressing for him, but who wouldn't when given such horrid situation?

"Let me save you." Aomine spoke softly, almost scared of the response Kagami would give to that.  
"I won't forgive you if you do." Kagami threatened. "You need to leave. Now. Do it, please."

Kagami leant in forward and planted a small kiss on the corner of Aomine's lips before Aomine replied with a proper kiss. Aomine soon reluctantly withdrew back from the kiss and rose to his feet, looking at Kagami with pitiful eyes. He had already missed the red-head's warmth—hesitation swirling in his deep blue eyes. After a moment, Aomine made the decision to turn on his heel—back towards Kagami and automatically, the red-head knew that his lover made a choice. Aomine left the bedroom—left Kagami's sight, Kagami's life and Kagami himself. A metal ball was lodged in the red-head's throat as Aomine showed no signs of coming back. He nodded lightly to himself before using his upper-body strength to slide him back until he could comfortably lean against the bed head.

Kagami closed his eyes and suddenly, he could hear the fire alarm's dull ringing in his ears. He hadn't really noticed it all too well when Aomine was in the room but now that he's gone, reality had snapped him back to Earth. He sat patiently for the fire to engulf him in flames but the suspense of when he'd be able to draw his last breath could honestly kill him. He wished it was soon but time seemed to slow down—something that's not in his favor. Tick tock, tick tock. The sound of the fire alarm soon mixed in with the sound of the siren he had grown accustomed to. _Ah, they're finally here_. Kagami thought as the fire brigade's siren roared through the early hours of the morning. Somehow, hearing the siren put Kagami at a somewhat ease and that was something he was strangely thankful for.

As a strong full two minutes passed by, the red-head soon felt lips being pressed onto his, causing his eyes to flicker open. His orbs were greeted by blue ones and Kagami withdrew back by only a mere centimeter.

"What are you doing here?" Kagami asked surprise. Aomine ignored him and slid onto his side of the bed. Kagami couldn't take his eyes off the younger one as the said male got comfortable—back against the bed head. Aomine was looking straight ahead—straight at the door that was parallel to the bed. He then turned to look at Kagami who parted his lips to speak but couldn't as Aomine crashed his lips back onto Kagami's.

"As if I was going to leave you." Aomine soon said, later revealing that he went to lock the front door.  
"I'm not gonna forgive your sorry ass." Kagami muttered.  
"I really couldn't care less." Aomine said as a matter-of-factly.  
"Oh really?" Kagami tested challengingly as Aomine nodded once, soon closing the distance between them with a chaste kiss. "Why are you doing this…?" Kagami then asked, looking dead-straight into Aomine's eyes who returned the stare. "Aren't you scared?"  
"Yeah." Aomine murmured. "Yeah, I am scared." He then spoke a little louder. "I'm scared as hell."  
"Then why are you here—?" Kagami's sentence was cut short.  
"I'm scared of leaving you here alone. I know I'm a jerk but… I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I abandoned you." Aomine shrugged his shoulders which made him seem that he was being casual about his words.

"Do you remember that time when I convinced you for _weeks_ to let us be recorded on tape when we were… You know… doing _it._" Aomine soon spoke out, eyes down at his lap. Kagami's jaw dropped as his cheeks were colored a deep shade of red.  
"Why the _hell_ are you bringing that up right now?!" Kagami screeched as he almost forgot to breathe. Aomine looked at the red-head.  
"You were so reluctant—actually _extremely_ reluctant but eventually you gave in because you said that if it's something I really wanted then you'd be fine with it." Aomine was filled with nostalgia. But Kagami didn't care.  
"Where are you going with this, Daiki?" The red-head growled.

"If this is what you want—and you've probably thought long about this—then I'd be happy to oblige to this… This—whatever this is."  
"This and _that_ aren't comparable! You wanted me to do _that_ where I don't want you to do _this!_" Kagami screeched.  
"Yeah, well my love for you is at a point where I don't care if you want me to do this or not. Heck, I still wanna grab and get you the hell outta here but it's a bit too late now… The fire's on our floor so it's only a matter of minutes." Aomine spoke as if it wasn't important.  
"Daiki…" Kagami said melancholically as he placed a hand on Aomine's cheek. Aomine looked at Kagami before their faces both closed inwards, lips meeting one more—possibly for the last time.

Kagami's lips parted and Aomine took this chance to slide his tongue in. Their tongues intertwined and lapped over each other's, completely savoring the taste of the other before a loud explosion followed by a rumble caused them to split back. In perfect sync, both of their orbs drifted to the door in front of them. They can see a soft glow from the cracks of the bedroom's entrance and that's when they knew—minutes were now replaced with seconds.

Aomine glanced over at Kagami who wore a troubled expression. The red-head was breathing faster than normal and Aomine sensed that Kagami was scared—more scared than what he should've been. Kagami eventually returned Aomine's gaze and tried to calm down. Aomine smiled and that seemed to do the trick though that wouldn't regulate Kagami's breathing. The dark skinned male snaked his hand over to Kagami's, locking their digits in a tight grip before lifting their interlocked hands out from under the blanket. Aomine then brought their hands to his lips, kissing the back of Kagami's hand.

"I love you." Aomine whispered out though loud enough for Kagami to hear. The red head mouthed those three words back as he couldn't find his voice. Aomine kissed the back of Kagami's hand once more—lips lingering longer as his brows were knitted. Kagami felt a tear slid down his cheek and when Aomine looked up at Kagami's face, his heart tightened. But nevertheless, he tried to stay calm even if the situation really is dawning down on him. Well, there was no turning back now and maybe… It wouldn't be so bad.

"I love you." He said again, clenching Kagami's hand tightly. "I love you so much. And I just can't imagine a world where you're not in it. I just can't."

黒子のバスケ © 藤巻 忠俊  
Kuroko No Basuke**  
**

**Ugh.**


End file.
